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EO 13185Executive OrderClinton · D

Executive Order 13185

To Strengthen the Federal Government-University Research Partnership

This executive order establishes guiding and operating principles for the federal government's research partnership with universities, drawn from a 1999 National Science and Technology Council report. It directs OSTP to conduct regular reviews of the partnership's health and report to the President with improvement recommendations. The order explicitly disclaims creating any enforceable legal rights.

Federal Register Open PDF 66 FR 701

Impact dates

  1. Agency regular review of policies and procedures for alignment with principles (no fixed interval specified)

  2. Regular OSTP/NSTC review and report on partnership status (no fixed interval specified)

Key directives

  • Future federal policies, rules, and regulations for government-university research partnership must use stated guiding and operating principles as framework
  • Each executive branch department or agency supporting university research shall regularly review existing policies and procedures for alignment with principles
  • OSTP, with NSTC, shall conduct regular review of partnership and prepare status report
  • OSTP report shall include recommendations for improving the partnership
  • OSTP Director shall deliver report to the President

Who is ordered

Timeline

Immediate

  • Principles become framework for future federal policies, rules, and regulations affecting government-university research partnerships

Near term (90d)

  • Agencies begin reviewing existing policies and procedures for alignment with principles

Long term

  • Ongoing regular OSTP reviews and reports to President; continuous agency policy reviews

Risks & tensions

  • No enforcement mechanism: Section 3 explicitly disclaims creating enforceable rights, making compliance voluntary
  • Vague timing: 'Regular review' is undefined for both OSTP reports and agency self-reviews—could mean annually, biennially, or ad hoc
  • Framework vs. mandate: Principles are advisory framework, not binding requirements; 'should' language in Section 2(a) softens obligations
  • Dependent on presidential attention: Reports go to President with no requirement for public release or congressional notification
  • Precedent risk: Codifies 1999 report recommendations that may become outdated without formal update mechanism
Executive Order 13185: To Strengthen the Federal Government-University Research Partnership · Executive Orders